HLH (hemophagocytic lymphohisitocytosis; hemophagocytic syndrome) is a rare syndrome of self-perpetuating hyper-inflammation. If not recognized and interrupted, it leads to death. However, sepsis (septicemia) is a much more common cause of severe inflammation that leads to multi-organ failure and death. The distinguished work differentiates between these two conditions based on the parameters included in the HLH-2004 criteria. Such a wide reception and "resonance" of this work in the scientific community demonstrates the importance of HLH.
Through a careful analysis of the data available in the literature, the typical values for HLH and sepsis were identified. This made it possible to identify parameters useful for differentiation, including hyperferritinemia, splenomegaly, severity of cytopenias, hypofibrinogenemia, and those with similar values, such as body temperature, NK cell activity and sCD25 levels. While data on HLH-2004 criteria were available in studies of patient groups with this diagnosis, obtaining representative data of sepsis patients was more challenging. These were obtained through a painstaking analysis of publications containing the results of studies of sepsis patients. It is noteworthy that only a few of them contained adequate parameters. It is this unique compilation that accounts for the value of the work. Moreover, the analyses were conducted separately for adults and children.
The creation of the paper was inspired by Prof. Wieslaw Jędrzejczak from the Chair and Department of Hematology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine UCC MUW. Prof. Gritta Janka - one of the greatest authorities on HLH - also contributed to its creation. The paper was published in Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology in 2017.
Dr. Rafal Machowicz received the statuette and diplomas from the hands of the Rector - Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong during the MUW Senate meeting.
The "Złota Kukułka" award is given to the author of an experimental or clinical paper published within the last five calendar years and accepted with particular interest by the international scientific community, i.e., the most frequently cited in the world literature among all the papers written during this period by employees of our university and submitted for the competition. The minimum number of citations of a paper during the five-year period entitling it to be a candidate for the award is fifty. The number of citations does not include self-citations. The prototype of the statuette was made by the sculptor Jaroslaw Madej. Due to the type of bronze used, the statuette has a golden appearance, as reflected in the name.